US 12,728,041 B1Granted

Universal fitting structure for hearing protection device

AssigneeDaniel R. Schumaier

InventorsDaniel R. Schumaier, Seth Elkins, Richard Trent, Mark A Neilson, Dale F Kundis

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A universal-fit hearing protection device includes an electronics module, sound tube interface, concha shell, and ear tip. The sound tube interface includes a sleeve and a nozzle extending from the sleeve. The sleeve, which slidably attaches to the electronics module, includes a sound tube opening aligned with a sound port on the electronics module. The nozzle includes a sound tube extending therethrough. The concha shell includes a cavity and an aperture in communication with the cavity. The cavity receives the electronics module and the attached sound tube interface. The aperture in the cavity receives the nozzle when the electronics module and sound tube interface are in the cavity. The ear tip includes a tubular core that receives the nozzle, and the compliant outer structure disposed around the tubular core that is received within an ear canal of the user. The nozzle may be an integral part of the electronics module.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A universal-fit hearing protection device comprising:

an electronics module containing electronics that incorporate one or both of digital signal processing to provide sound amplification and digital signal processing to provide fast compression programming to shut off sound amplification to protect a user of the device when a loud noise is detected, the electronics module having a sound port disposed in an output end of the electronics module, the sound port configured to propagate sound generated by the electronics;
a sound tube interface configured to be attached to the electronics module, the sound tube interface comprising:
a sleeve portion configured to be slidably attachable to and removable from the output end of the electronics module, the sleeve portion including a sound tube opening that is aligned with the sound port of the electronics module when the sound tube interface is attached to the electronics module;
and
a nozzle portion extending outward from the sleeve portion, the nozzle portion including a sound tube that extends through the nozzle portion and is in communication with the sound tube opening in the sleeve portion;
a concha shell configured to be received in an ear concha of the user, the concha shell comprising:
a cavity configured to receive at least a portion of the electronics module and the sound tube interface attached to the electronics module;
and
an aperture in communication with the cavity, the aperture configured to receive the nozzle portion of the sound tube interface when the electronics module and sound tube interface are received in the cavity;
and
an ear tip configured to be attached to the nozzle portion of the sound tube interface, the ear tip comprising:
a tubular core configured to receive the nozzle portion of the sound tube interface;
and
a compliant outer structure disposed around the tubular core, the compliant outer structure configured to be received within an ear canal of the user.

11 more elements

A universal-fit hearing protection device comprising:

an electronics module containing electronics that incorporate one or both of digital signal processing to provide sound amplification and digital signal processing to provide fast compression programming to shut off sound amplification to protect a user of the device when a loud noise is detected, the electronics module having:
a sound port disposed in an output end of the electronics module, the sound port configured to propagate sound generated by the electronics;
and
a ridge on an outer surface of the electronics module adjacent to the output end;
a sound tube interface configured to be attached to the electronics module, the sound tube interface comprising:
a sleeve portion configured to be slidably attachable to and removable from the output end of the electronics module, the sleeve portion including:
a sound tube opening that is aligned with the sound port of the electronics module when the sound tube interface is attached to the electronics module;
and
an internal channel configured to receive the ridge on the outer surface electronics module when the sound tube interface is attached to the electronics module;
and
a nozzle portion extending outward from the sleeve portion, the nozzle portion including a sound tube that extends through the nozzle portion and is in communication with the sound tube opening in the sleeve portion,
wherein the sleeve portion and the nozzle portion of the sound tube interface comprise a one-piece integral structure;
a concha shell formed from a compliant material and configured to be received in an ear concha of the user, the concha shell comprising:
a cavity configured to receive at least a portion of the electronics module and the sound tube interface attached to the electronics module;
and
an aperture in communication with the cavity, the aperture configured to receive the nozzle portion of the sound tube interface when the electronics module and sound tube interface are received in the cavity,
wherein the concha shell is shaped and dimensioned to provide a universal fit that is applicable to more than one user;
and
an ear tip configured to be attached to the nozzle portion of the sound tube interface, the ear tip comprising:
a tubular core configured to receive the nozzle portion of the sound tube interface;
and
a compliant outer structure disposed around the tubular core, the compliant outer structure configured to be received within an ear canal of the user, wherein the compliant outer structure is shaped and dimensioned to provide a universal fit that is applicable to more than one user.

19 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.